“But come on. You must have known that Chris was an idiot?”
“But that’s just it. I didn’t!” Tess exclaimed. “I still can’t believe he was using me to get insider information about Atlantic.”
“Well, I can,” Verity said bluntly. “Nobody ever knew what you saw in him.” She looked at her sister shrewdly. “Did he break your heart again?”
“More like dented my pride this time. But it hurt almost as much. When he dumped me the first time around I lost all my confidence. I swore then I would never let that happen to me again. And yet somehow I did – with the same guy! Did I tell you he has a fiancée?”
“Three times.” Verity raised her eyebrows. “Look, it’s not you, it’s him. He’s a philanderer and a user.”
“But how come I didn’t see that?” Tess persisted. “How come I was – am – such a bad judge of character?”
“Love is blind, I suppose,” Verity said matter-of-factly. “We’ve all been there.”
“Except I don’t love him.” Tess straightened up. “And I don’t know if I ever did. At least I’ve realised that much. Staying hung up on him for all that time – cyber-stalking him and checking out his career – it all meant I didn’t have to commit to another relationship, and risk getting hurt all over again.” She looked away. “Oh, I’ve been such a coward about life, Verity.”
“And here was me envying you all this time,” her sister said calmly. “The way you took off on your own like that, travelling wherever the wind took you. I would never have the courage to do that. I need everything in my life to be planned and predictable or else I become stressed and cranky.”
“Really?” Tess was shocked. She had never for a moment thought that her sister might envy her.
Verity smiled ruefully. “And now that I’m pregnant, backpacking around the world is a ship that has definitely sailed for me. Shopping for the baby is my biggest thrill these days.”
It was Tess’s biggest thrill now too, and her days in London soon fell into a pattern of preparing for the new arrival. When Verity had time off they shopped for baby paraphernalia and when she had to visit clients or disappear into her office on the top floor of the house, Tess went out to enjoy the city by herself.
One sunny afternoon she was strolling along Kensington High Street and saw a man coming towards her with a long, loping gait, pushing dark hair off his forehead in a familiar, impatient gesture. Her pulse quickened. Was it Jack McCabe? But as he drew closer, Tess found herself staring into the face of a perfect stranger. She stopped walking, taken aback by the sheer force of the disappointment which swamped her.
She had refused to think about Jack at all these past few weeks. The only way she could deal with her feelings about him was to banish them to the furthest recesses of her mind. She had been so hurt when he’d laid the blame for the debacle of the relaunch party at her feet, automatically assuming she had been drunk, when she had been trying to save Ollie from himself.
But then, wasn’t that what she had spent the majority of her time doing since she had taken the job? Trying to manage Ollie, figuring out what mood he was in, how she could make him happy so he might become bearable to work with. She had been so focussed on him that she’d stopped taking her own feelings into consideration. Even if she’d won the contest, it would have meant months, maybe even years, of trying to shoehorn herself into a position that didn’t suit her. At least she’d faced up to that much.
Later that week, Verity threw a dinner party. She and Philip had built up a good social life in London and were eager to introduce Tess to some of their friends. Tess was sitting beside a woman called Sally, a tall, skinny redhead who worked as an editor with one of the top monthly magazines. Just as the evening ended, she turned to Tess. “By the way, there’s a maternity leave vacancy at the magazine for a sub-editor right now. Would you be interested?”
“Me?” Tess was astonished. She had been chatting to Sally earlier about some of the freelance work she’d done over the last few years as a way of financing her travels but she had no experience of working for one of the top glossies.
“Yes – you’re a trained journalist, aren’t you? And there might be some writing opportunities for you too, if you come up with suitable ideas. Your extended gap year would make a great feature for our readers, for a start.”
“Thanks. I’ll certainly think about it.” Tess was thrilled with the tip-off.
Later on, Verity explained that she’d recommended her to Sally earlier in the week. “I bigged up all your freelance work, and your journalism degree, and told her you were a producer on a top national radio station in Ireland.”
“Seriously?”
“Well, it’s all true, isn’t it?” Verity frowned.
“Er ... no. Atlantic 1 FM was a small local station when I was there.”
“But it’s a national station now,” Verity pointed out. “Anyway, it’s only to cover someone’s maternity leave. Of course, you’ll have to go through an interview and impress the hell out of her bosses, but Sally seems to think you’ll walk it. What do you think?”
Tess thought it sounded like an opportunity offered to her on a silver platter. It would be a chance to reinvent herself at a stroke, an opportunity to redeem herself – in her own eyes at least. But then she remembered the last time she thought she was getting a dream job – it had been at Atlantic, and look where that had got her.
“I don’t want you to go for the interview unless you’re serious about the job. It will reflect badly on Sally if you do,” Verity warned, noticing Tess’s hesitation.
“I understand. When does she need to know?”
“Her boss is out of the country at the moment apparently, so the interview won’t be for another couple of weeks at least.”
It was the breathing space Tess needed. She could think about whether this was the right move for her and while she was weighing that up, she could go back to Killty. She needed to tie up loose ends. After her showdown with Chris, she had simply emailed Helene to let her know she was resigning her position and that she would take her remaining holiday entitlement in lieu of notice.
But she needed to go back and give up the apartment, pack her stuff, say her goodbyes. She had been in London almost a month now and the time and distance had allowed her to put her troubles at Killty into perspective. Except for the feud with Andrea. That was her biggest regret. The most important thing she needed to do was to try to fix things between them. Before she left Killty for good.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
As it turned out, Andrea couldn’t have been more delighted to hear from her. “I thought I was never going to see you again,” she said softly. They were sitting in the Travel Cafe. Tess was dressed in her oldest faded jeans while Andrea was dressed for success – navy business suit, white shirt, dotted scarf and a big briefcase by her feet. “I did try to contact you the day after those pictures were in the Killty Times, but your phone was switched off. What happened that night? Did Ollie offer to fight you on the floor for It’s My Show?”
“That was Gai Gordan Ryder’s line,” Tess laughed. “He actually said something like that in his report, if I remember correctly.”
Andrea sighed. “Jack and Paulina set us all up to compete with each other and we went for it like obedient nodding dogs, didn’t we?”
“I suppose we did.”
“I convinced myself that winning the contest was the most important thing in my life. I focussed on it so hard I couldn’t see anything, or anyone, else. When I heard you were getting coaching from the hotshot Chris Conroy and going to dinner with the boss? Hands up – I was jealous.”
Tess gave a rueful smile. “And you had so little to be jealous of as it turned out. By the way – did you ever find out who Terry was?”
Andrea’s face closed over. “Joe still insists she was just a work colleague. But to be honest, I don’t know if I believe him. I mean, why did he let me think she was a he if it was all so innocent?”
T
ess stayed silent, thinking of the intimate connection she had witnessed between Joe and the woman that night in the restaurant.
“For a while there I thought we were over – I was even looking up new day care for the children. But,” Andrea shrugged awkwardly, “it’s a marriage, you know what I mean? And we’ve two small children to consider. So we’re trying to work it out.”
“I’m sorry we fell out over it,” Tess said quietly.
“And are you sorry for going to dinner with Jack without telling me first?” Andrea attempted to lighten the mood.
“Of course. And are you sorry for getting secret sessions with a stylist?” Tess countered.
“Desperately!”
Tess laughed. “So how have things been apart from all of that?”
“Good! There have been lots of changes ...” Andrea broke off as the waitress arrived to take their order, “and ... er ... here’s one of them.”
“I’ll just have coffee,” Tess looked up and did a double take. “Helene?”
“Don’t look so surprised!” Helene smiled. “Or judgemental.”
“I’m not. I mean, of course I’m surprised.” Tess stared at her former boss. Helene was wearing a loose-cut, floral dress with flat, open sandals and her dark glossy hair was pushed back into a ponytail.
“Well, you shouldn’t be. Being a waitress means you get to meet all sorts of interesting people.” Helene’s mouth curved in a secret smile.
Tess shook her head, trying to make the connection between this barefaced, smiling, hippie and the sharp-suited woman who had made her life a misery for months.
“Of course, I only actually waitress the odd time,” Helene continued. “When it’s very busy or staff haven’t turned in. I do it as a favour to Matt but I get ideas from the customers for my real job here – to put the Travel Cafe on the map. I’m doing the PR for him.”
“Er ... sounds great.”
“So – what have you been doing with yourself?”
“I’ve been in London for the last few weeks.” Tess was about to explain about her potential new job on the magazine. But the germ of an idea which had been bubbling just under her consciousness for ages, rose spontaneously to the surface. If Helene Harper can work as a waitress, why can’t I go to art college? Tess blinked. Where the hell had that come from? It was a ridiculous idea anyway – she couldn’t start all over again. She wanted to move forward in her life, not go backwards.
“London must have been interesting,” Helene said. “I’m actually thinking of moving away myself. To New Zealand – after the baby is born.” She looked down at her as yet non-existent bump proudly.
“Congratulations!” Tess smiled.
“My foot she’s moving to New Zealand,” Andrea snorted as soon as Helene wafted out of earshot. “She so into the owner of this place – remember that guy who rescued her fortieth birthday party and stopped it from turning into a complete disaster?”
“Yeah, his name was Matt,” Tess said absent-mindedly. She was still looking after Helene with a bemused expression. She pulled her attention back to Andrea. “So, how have things been at work for you?”
“Really good, actually. As soon as I realised Chris had won the contest, I knew I had to change tack immediately. And guess what – I pitched for Helene’s job and got it!” Andrea clapped her hands in anticipation of Tess’s reaction.
Tess’s eyes widened. “Wow! Congratulations! Is it ... er ... as stressful as Helene seemed to find it?”
“Not at all. You were right from the beginning. Helene and Ollie did make out that their jobs were a lot more difficult than they actually were.”
“Ollie’s was a lot harder as I remember,” Tess shuddered at the memory of her Agony Aunt of the Airways experience.
“I suppose it depends on whether the position suits you,” Andrea conceded. “But I love my new role, and so does Chris Conroy – for now at least. And Sara is having no trouble at all keeping him under control – she keeps telling him he’s cute, apparently!”
Tess grinned. “He’d like that. So what happened to Ollie?”
“Ollie,” Andrea smothered a laugh, “has gone to New Zealand! Helene has no idea about it yet, but when she finds out, I bet she’ll use it as an excuse to stay put.”
“Tea, wasn’t it?” Helene arrived back at their table and plonked Tess’s mug down so hard that the hot liquid slopped all over the table.
“It was coffee, actually,” Tess said apologetically.
“Damn!” Helene looked irritable and Tess took up a napkin and started mopping up the mess. No matter how lyrical Helene was waxing now about working as a waitress, Tess somehow didn’t see this phase of her life lasting too long. Helene Harper would be bossing someone around somewhere, before too much longer. Probably Matt, if Andrea was right.
“Thanks. I’ll get you coffee so,” Helene said half-heartedly. “Unless you don’t mind drinking tea?”
“Tea is fine.” Tess hid a smile.
Helene gave her a speculative look. “Hey, have you heard about Jack and Paulina yet?”
“No? Tess stiffened.
“They’re getting engaged! Paulina told me. She’s over the moon.”
“Oh?” Tess composed her features into a neutral expression. “You must congratulate her for me.” She’d had an instinct about Jack and Paulina from the beginning, so she couldn’t understand why she felt so shaken after Helene’s bald announcement.
“Apparently Richard and Louisa have finally split up,” Andrea whispered when Helene moved away. “The story is that as soon as she heard Helene was pregnant, that was it – it was curtains for Richard. And then Helene gave him some guff about finding herself so it’s over between them too.”
Tess was only half listening. She was already mentally making arrangements for her return to London. The very last thing she wanted was to be in Killty while Jack and Paulina were planning their nuptials.
Andrea reached for her briefcase. “Listen, I need to go over some urgent work stuff with Jack because he’s got a plane to catch first thing in the morning. But we can meet again tomorrow and have a proper catch-up if you’re free?”
The door to the cafe swung open and Andrea stood up. “Here he is now, actually. Jack? Jack, we’re over here.”
Tess followed her gaze and found herself looking up into the solemn brown eyes of Jack McCabe.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
She couldn’t stop staring. Seeing Jack so unexpectedly like this had thrown her completely. He was wearing a light summer suit and plain white shirt and he looked indecently sexy.
Tess’s eyes darted suspiciously to Andrea – was it really a coincidence that Jack should pitch up at the Travel Cafe just when she was here? But Andrea was studiously leafing through a sheaf of documents.
“Tess.” He seemed to be as surprised as she was that they should meet like this. “You’re back.”
“I was just going, actually. I’ll let you get on with your meeting.” She stood up abruptly.
Jack put his hand on her shoulder. “Please. We need to talk – or at least I do. I don’t want us to part on bad terms.”
“We’re not on bad terms.” She forced a smile. “But I really do have to be going. I’ll call you tomorrow, Andrea.” She made a beeline for the door and stepped gratefully out into the cool air of the early evening. She couldn’t understand how flustered she got every time she met him.
“What’s the hurry?” Jack called after her.
She looked back to see he had followed her out. “Honestly, I do have a lot on – I’m moving to London.”
“Oh! When?” He looked disappointed.
“Soon. And Andrea says you need to go over some urgent work stuff with her.”
“She does?” He looked towards the cafe where Andrea was now in a window seat, peering out at them. He smiled. “I wondered why she was so insistent about meeting here. Obviously she’s figured out how much I wanted to see you again.”
The sun slipped out from beh
ind a cloud and Jack squinted in the unexpected light. “Look,” he pressed on, “I’m flying to New York tomorrow for a business trip. But I’m staying at a hotel just outside here tonight. Would you come and have a drink with me? I’d really like to clear the air.”
Tess hesitated. He looked so wonderful, but he was engaged to Paulina. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a drink with him, did it? Just to get closure. She winced at the closure word. That was what she had told herself when she was going to meet up with Chris again. And look how that had turned out. But she was going to London now. And after tonight, she’d never meet Jack McCabe again.
“Just the one then.”
“Brilliant,” Jack beamed.
He ushered her towards his car and Tess slipped into the passenger seat. Jack switched on a classical station and Tess sank into the soft, leather upholstery and allowed the music to waft away any misgivings she might be having. As the car rounded a bend, she took a surreptitious look at him from beneath her lashes. He was staring straight ahead, his brow furrowed as if he was trying to work out a puzzle. She was conscious of how close they were – that if she reached out her hand she’d be touching him and how the thought of that was making all her senses sing in a way they never had before. Not with Chris, not even the first time around. Not with anyone.
How was that for lousy timing? Finding out how much Jack meant to her just when she was about to say goodbye to him for good? By the time they pulled into the hotel’s grand, cobblestoned driveway, all of Tess’s doubts had resurfaced and she had convinced herself she’d made a monumental mistake in coming.
As they entered the reception, Tess gravitated towards the fire burning in an ornate fireplace while Jack checked himself in. What good was having one drink with him going to do, she thought as she stared into the flames. It was like torturing herself.
“I have a suite because I need to get some work done.” Jack returned with his key card. “So I’ve ordered drinks for the room – if that’s okay?”
“Sure.” Tess couldn’t help wondering how Paulina would react if she knew Jack was inviting her up to his hotel suite. It was clear now why she had been so hostile towards her. Paulina’s intuition had told her there was something between her and Jack – the same something Tess herself had felt that night when they had gone for dinner.
The Cinderella Reflex Page 26